Actor Sidharth Shukla, who made his acting debut in 2008 with a lead role in the television show ‘Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na’, died on Thursday,  an official at the Cooper Hospital here said. He was 40.

Shukla suffered a massive heart attack in the morning it is learnt.

He was recently seen in web series ‘Broken But Beautiful’ opposite debutante Sonia Rathee in lead roles. The show was one of the most anticipated web shows of the year and it was Shukla’s debut in the OTT space.

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His character as District Collector Shivraj Shekhar, opposite Pratyusha Banerjee and Toral Rasputra in ‘Balika Vadhu’ changed his professional life for good.

It was his portrayal of Shiv in the long-running Colors TV social drama series, which earned him widespread recognition and popularity.

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In 2014, Shukla made his Bollywood debut in the romantic comedy ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ in supporting role-playing the character of Angad Bedi, an NRI doctor, and fiancé of the female protagonist played by Alia Bhatt.

In 2019, he participated in the reality show ‘Bigg Boss 13’ and was declared the winner in February 2020. He was also rated as one the most popular contestants of the show, ranking him as number one throughout 20 weeks.